Improvement in signal-lights for street-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNAL-LIGHTS FQR STREET-CARS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,800, dated March 16, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN STEPHENsoN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Signal-Light for Street-Cars; and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principle of my said improvement, by which my invention may be distinguished from all others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent- This invention relates to a new and improved signal-light for street-cars; and it consists in combining with a Fresnel lens a piece of tinted glass, the glass and lens being both permanently secured within a case or box provided with a iange so that the lens may be fitted in the lamp-box without any trouble or difficulty whatever. The object of the invention is to obtain or make a lens of white or colorless glass of any desired tint by combining with it a piece of glass plate of the tint desired, and in suchamanner that the lens and tinted glass plate will be confined together in contact, and admit of being inserted in and removed from a lamp-box with equally as great facility, and without any more danger of breakage, than if the lens itself were made of tinted glass, and at the same time obtain the advantage of economy in the construction of such lenses, and the varying of the tint or color of the same, as circumstances may require.

In the accompanying sheet of drawing, Figure 1 is a front or face view of my invention. Fig. 2 a section of the same taken in the line a' Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several drawings.

A represents a case or box, which is of circular or cylindrical form,.and is provided or cast with a flange, a, at its rear end, projecting outward at right angles from the case, and provided at its front end with a flange, b, projecting inward or toward-the center of the case. (See Fig. 2.) These flanges a b are both cast in one piece with the body or main portion of the case. v B represents a Fresnel lens of colorless glass, and of such dimensions that it will t snugly within the case A, and have the edge of its front surface bear against the inner surface ofthe flange b. Directly behind the lens B, within the case A, there is insert ed a circular piece of plate glass, ,0, of any tint or color desired. (Red is the tint or color represented in Fig. 2.) This tinted plate O abuts against the rear surface of the lens B, and is retained in position by putty, or any suitable cement, D, in connection with lugs, pins, or other suitable contrivance.

It will be seen from the above description that the box or case A serves as a means to retain the lens and tinted plate in contact7 and when the latter are secured in the former, and a tinted or colored lens thereby produced, the latter may be inserted in a lamp-box, and removed therefrom without any trouble or difliculty whatevernot any more than would be experienced in manipulating (inserting or removing) a simple lens complete in itself. In fact, a simple lens would require to be inserted within a ring or band of some kind in order to admit of it being inserted in the front of a lamp-box, or the opening in the lamp-box in which the lens is to be fitted must have a rebate around its edge, at the inner side, to admit of the lens being secured in position.v

In my improvement it will be seen all that is required is simply to cut a circular hole 'in the front side of the lamp-box and insert the case A init, the iiange a. being secured to the inner side of the box by screws, the holes c for which are shown Fig. 1.

The Fresnel lens is an old and well-known device, and in common use in light-houses, and is also used to a considerable extent in lanterns for railroads. Its peculiar construction prevents the divergence of the rays of light transmitted through it, directing or conlining the rays so that they will be projected parallelly from it and admitof being seen at a greater distance than when transmitted through an ordinary lens with a smooth surface. Tinted plates of glass have also been used behind ordinary lenses in order to produce colored lights. These plates may be seen in railroad lanterns, some of which have hinged doors, so constructed and arranged that a railroad employee, by shifting or manipulating the doors, may cause different-coloredlights to be shown, as required.

Green, ior instance, shown byalantern, is can tion 5 the conductor or engineer must been his guard. A red light signifies dangerf and the train must be stopped, and, before proceeding, the cause of warningfully' inquired into 5 but although the Fresnel lens and tinted plates of glass are old and in comnion use, I am not aware that such a lens has ever been combined with a tinted glass plate, and the lens and plate both permanently secured in a case or boX, so that the two parts (lens and glass) may be closely confined in contact, and capable of being manipulated (inserted in and removed from a lamp-box) with the greatest facility and Without danger of breakage or other injury.

I do not claim, therefore, in a broad sense,

and described.

JOHN STEPHENSON. Witnesses:

LEANDER M. DE LAMATER, J orrN A. TACKABERRY. 

